Tribute to Retiring Senators
TRIBUTES TO RETIRING SENATORS
Mr. DOMENICI. Mr. President, I rise today to take this opportunity to honor our departing colleagues who are leaving the Senate. Almost each new Congress a different group of 100 men and women come together from different backgrounds and political philosophies, representing different interests and constituencies, but through all our differences, we develop respect and admiration for each other. Many times we step across the aisle and work together on legislation and often times genuine friendships are created. As I pay tribute to these departing Senators, whether they have been here 1 term or 7, they are a remarkable group and we thank them for their honorable service.
BEN CAMPBELL
BEN NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL has been more than just a neighbor Senator from out west, but a close friend and colleague.
I have worked with Senator Campbell on the Senate Appropriations Committee, the Energy and Natural Resources Committee and the Indian Affairs Committee. During his 18 years in the United States Congress, Senator Campbell has earned the respect of members on both sides of the aisle as being a statesman and staunch advocate for the State of Colorado. In addition, he is the sole American Indian serving in the Senate, and he is also a Northern Cheyenne tribal chief. His work on behalf of tribes is legendary, and I know he will be sorely missed by the American Indian people.
Senator Campbell has been a recognized leader on public land and natural resource policy. Since New Mexico and Colorado face similar challenges, we have worked closely on these matters, and it has been a privilege to work with someone so passionate about improving land management policies.
Senator Campbell is a veteran, Olympian, and public servant, and he has selflessly devoted himself to serving his State and country for over half a century. Senator Campbell is a unique individual who I call a friend. His love of nature, his family and his roots is continually evident. As a father, grandfather, and Senator, I know that Senator NIGHTHORSE CAMPBELL and his loved ones will be glad to have more time for family activities.
He proudly represented Colorado and its people. His leadership and presence will be greatly missed by all. I wish him the best of luck in all of his future endeavors.
JOHN BREAUX
JOHN BREAUX is retiring after serving 3 terms in the Senate. I would like to take this time to acknowledge a friend, colleague, and dedicated public servant.
Senator Breaux was elected to the House of Representatives in 1972 at the age of 28, and at that time, he was the youngest member of Congress. After serving 14 years in the House, the people of Louisiana elected JOHN BREAUX to the Senate in 1986.
I have had the pleasure of working closely with Senator Breaux on many energy matters over the years. During this time, I have admired his ability to find common ground between those who hold disparate views. His uncanny ability to bring industry leaders, policy makers, and administration leaders together is unique, and I will always appreciate his candor in resolving energy policy differences. JOHN was always someone I could reach across the aisle to work with on the Budget Resolutions.
It is well known that Senator Breaux is passionate about improving health care for all Americans. He worked tirelessly on welfare and health care issues, and took an active interest in the elderly as a member of the Finance Committee and a leader of the Special Committee on Aging, just last year he played an integral part in drafting the Medicare Prescription Drug and Modernization Act of 2003. This historic legislation will provide relief to the millions of people struggling to pay for prescription drugs and he should be honored for his dedication to this bill.
Senator Breaux's work has touched the lives of a great many Americans, and his talents and unrivaled sense of humor will be sorely missed in the Senate. Just as importantly, he has been a great advocate for his home State of Louisiana, and his State has been lucky to have his service for so many years.
In the course of working together for so many years, I have developed genuine respect for Senator Breaux. I thank him for years of distinguished service, and wish him the very best in all his future undertakings. I will miss Senator JOHN BREAUX.
ZELL MILLER
I wish to take this time to honor a great senator and a true American patriot, ZELL MILLER. He is a man who has served Georgia with dignity and honor these past 4 years in the United States Senate.
ZELL MILLER embraced public service early on in his life. His mother served as one of Georgia's first female mayors. She taught him early on about public service and a strong work ethic, which he has exemplified throughout his career.
In the late 1950s, ZELL MILLER served as mayor of his hometown of Young Harris, GA. He then went on to serve as a State Senator, Lieutenant Governor, and eventually served in the highest power in the state of Georgia as Governor. Not surprisingly, ZELL MILLER was named by the Washington Post in 1998 as the most popular governor in America and the Governing Magazine named him Governor of the Year in 1998. These career paths finally led him to the United States Senate in 2000.
While ZELL MILLER was invested in politics, he was also dedicated to education and students. Throughout his career, ZELL MILLER was a professor of political science and history at the Emory University, University of Georgia, and Young Harris College.
Senator Miller has continuously reached across the aisle to work with Republicans, but it is probably best stated in his own words when he pointed out that while he is a lifelong Democrat, he pledged to serve all 8.5 million Georgians and no single party in the Senate. Through this approach, ZELL MILLER has been a supporter of a broad range of issues such as tax cuts, improving education, strengthening national security, and fighting the global war on terrorism. While in the Senate, he dutifully served on the Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee, the Banking, Housing, and Urban Development Committee, and the Veterans' Affairs Committee.
His time here has been all too brief, but Senator Miller has made a difference and I will miss him. While he may be leaving the U.S. Senate, I do not doubt that we have not heard the last of ZELL. I bid him farewell and extend my best wishes to him and his family.
TOM DASCHLE
I would like to pay tribute to a respected colleague who is leaving the Senate after a long and distinguished career. Senator TOM DASCHLE worked hard, for 8 years as a Member of the House of Representatives and for 18 years as a United States Senator, to represent the interests of voters across the State of South Dakota.
As the leader of his party for the past 10 years, Senator Daschle has proven himself to be a capable legislator and moreover, an advocate for his State's and party's interests. During the 108th Congress, Senator Daschle served on four committees: Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry, Finance, and Rules and Administration; and today he serves as the Senior Senator and the Democratic Leader of the Senate.
Influenced by his formative experiences during the Vietnam War as an intelligence officer in the Air Force, Senator Daschle worked hard to serve the interests of veterans across this great country. His most notable achievement in this field was the enactment of legislation securing benefits for those soldiers exposed to Agent Orange.
During his tenure, Senator Daschle also developed a reputation for being a shrewd legislator on issues related to agriculture and South Dakota's farming community. He was always apprised of even the most minute issues at stake and thus ensured that all of his constituents were represented at the negotiating table.
Senator Daschle fought tirelessly for his beliefs throughout his time in the Senate. I wish Senator Daschle and his family the very best in the years ahead.
BOB GRAHAM
I have a great affection for the departing Senator from Florida BOB GRAHAM. After 18 years of dedicated service to his country and to the people of Florida, all of us in this Chamber will certainly miss the Senator as he retires from elected office.
I had the pleasure of serving on the Energy and Natural Resources Committee with Senator Graham during the past 9 years. During that time, I had the opportunity to work with Senator Graham on a number of important issues. He proved to be a sound leader for his party and a member committed to bipartisan solutions.
Senator Graham's brief tenure as Chairman of the Select Intelligence Committee, came during one of the most trying times our Nation has faced, the attack on our country by terrorists on September 11, 2001. Senator Graham worked closely with his House counterpart, and current Director of Central Intelligence, Porter Goss to lead a joint Senate-House inquiry into the attacks on our nation.
Although he was first elected to the Senate in 1986, Senator Graham has been serving the people of Florida since 1966 when he was first elected to that State's House of Representatives. After serving in the House for 4 years and in the State Senate for 8 years, Senator Graham was elected the 38th Governor of the State of Florida.
In spite of these accomplishments, it is fair to say that Senator Graham will perhaps be most memorable for instituting the "Workdays" he began in 1974 and continued during his time in the Senate. Senator Graham began the "Workdays" by teaching a semester of civics courses at a Miami area high school.
I wish Senator Graham, his wife Adele, and his children and grandchildren the very best in the coming years.
ERNEST HOLLINGS
ERNEST "FRITZ" HOLLINGS devoted his entire adult life to public service. He admirably served 7 terms as a U.S. Senator and today he is the fourth most senior member of the Senate, and he also hold the distinction of being the longest serving junior Senator in history.
His service to our country began immediately after he graduated from The Citadel in 1942 when he received a commission from the U.S. Army. Throughout his honorable military service Senator Hollings received the Bronze Star and seven campaign ribbons. He served as an officer in the North African and European campaigns during World War II.
After returning from the war, FRITZ attended the University of South Carolina School of Law where he completed his Juris Doctorate in less than 3 years. At the age of 26, FRITZ HOLLINGS launched his public service career when he was elected to the South Carolina House of Representatives. He went on to become Speaker Pro Tempore, Lieutenant Governor, and at the age of 36 Governor of South Carolina becoming the youngest man in the 20th century to be elected Governor of South Carolina.
It has been a great honor to work with FRITZ HOLLINGS over these many years. We were able to work together while serving on the Senate Budget Committee and the Senate Appropriations Committee together. He consistently fought for fiscal responsibility and a reliable Government for the people.
As a principal author of the 1996 Telecommunications Act, Senator Hollings was a perfect candidate to serve as the ranking member on the Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee during the 108th Congress. Through this position, Senator Hollings developed legislation to strengthen national security for our nation's port, railroad, and aviation systems.
Senator Hollings has served the Senate in so many ways over the past 42 years it is impossible to know where to begin showcasing his contributions. Therefore, I would just like to say that he has continued over the years to work to better not only the lives of South Carolinians, but all the people of our nation.
Senator Hollings will certainly be missed around here. I bid him farewell and extend my best wishes to him and his family.
PETER FITZGERALD
Senator PETER FITZGERALD is retiring from the Senate after 6 years of service to his home State of Illinois.
Prior to joining the Senate, Senator Fitzgerald was a commercial banking attorney and in this position played a significant role in investigations of corporate accounting fraud, mutual fund industry abuses, chronic under-funding of employee pensions, and waste, fraud and mismanagement in various Federal agencies. In 1993, he embarked upon his public service work when he began serving as an Illinois State Senator until his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 at the young age of 38.
PETER was the first Republican in Illinois to win a Senate race in 20 years. Even though his time here was brief, he has been able to establish himself as a fiscally responsible Senator. He has consistently backed efforts to control spending and reduce taxes. Through these actions, Senator Fitzgerald has received many awards from taxpayer watchdog groups such as the Americans for Tax Reform, who has repeatedly named him a "Hero of the American Taxpayer."
While serving as chairman of the Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Affairs and Product Safety, PETER has also led a successful fight to improve outdated consumer safety regulations. These regulations brought about higher testing and safety standards for child car seats and improved car safety features that benefit all Americans.
Senator Fitzgerald will be missed, though I'm sure he is now looking forward to spending more time with his wife Nina and their son Jake. I wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors.
JOHN EDWARDS
Finally, I would like to acknowledge my retiring colleague from North Carolina, Senator John Edwards.
Senator Edwards was the first in his family to attend college, working his way through North Carolina State University and later earning his law degree from the University of North Carolina. Afterward, John Edwards established himself as a distinguished and successful lawyer. These accomplishments alone are quite striking and aptly demonstrate the intelligence and determination of Senator Edwards.
During his time in the Senate, Senator Edwards served on four committees: Health, Education, Labor & Pensions, the Judiciary, the Small Business & Entrepreneurship, and the Select Intelligence. He continually championed for issues affecting the daily lives of regular people in North Carolina and the nation.
I am sure Senator Edwards will find success in any endeavor he now chooses to undertake and I join with my colleagues in wishing him the best.